Cause and Effect Analysis Apply Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram analysis to systematically explore all potential causes of a problem across multiple categories. Description Systematically examine potential causes across six categories: People, Process, Technology, Environment, Methods, and Materials. Creates structured "fishbone" view identifying contributing factors. Usage /cause and effect [problem description] Variables PROBLEM: Issue to analyze (default: prompt for input) CATEGORIES: Categories to explore (default: all six) Steps 1. State the problem clearly (the "head" of the fish) 2. For each category, brainstorm potential causes: People : Skills, training, communication, team dynamics Process : Workflows, procedures, standards, reviews Technology : Tools, infrastructure, dependencies, configuration Environment : Workspace, deployment targets, external factors Methods : Approaches, patterns, architectures, practices Materials : Data, dependencies, third party services, resources 3. For each potential cause, ask "why" to dig deeper 4. Identify which causes are contributing vs. root causes 5. Prioritize causes by impact and likelihood 6. Propose solutions for highest priority causes Examples Example 1: API Response Latency Example 2: Flaky Test Suite Example 3: Feature Takes 3 Months Instead of 3 Weeks Notes Fishbone reveals systemic issues across domains Multiple causes often combine to create problems Don't stop at first cause in each category—dig deeper Some causes span multiple categories (mark them) Root causes usually in Process or Methods (not just Technology) Use with /why command for deeper analysis of specific causes Prioritize solutions by: impact × feasibility ÷ effort Address root causes, not just symptoms

cause-and-effect